Antiquities Ministry studies opening Saladin Citadel at night

CAIRO – 5 July 2017: Opening the Salah Al-Din Citadel for audiences during Ramadan proved to be successful and generated LE 1.5 million ($83,846) of revenue for the Ministry of Antiquities, said Gamal Mostafa, director-general of Al-Qalaa (Citadel) Antiquities.

In a statement to Egypt Today, Gamal Mostafa explained that inaugurating the Salah El Din Citadel on a temporary basis is currently being considered. “Should we receive Citadel visitors at night, the cons are to be overcome and higher levels of security measures are to be secured in coordination with the tourism and antiquities police,” said Gamal Mostafa. He added, “We have already started to study the deficiencies that appeared during the inauguration of the Citadel in Ramadan. Unless the security process is 100% completed, a decision will not be made.”

The Citadel was built by Saladin El Ayouby, the famous king and army leader and the founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty, during the end of the 12th century. It has witnessed many important events in Egyptian history.